U.S. plans to increase refugee intake next year -officials

WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The United States plans to
raise the number of refugees it takes in by 5,000 next year to
75,000, including an unspecified number from Syria, senior U.S.
officials said on Wednesday, and congressional aides said the
total may go significantly higher.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters at
the Capitol, said Washington was "committed to" taking in more
Syrian refugees fleeing war in their country.

A senior State Department official, speaking on a conference
call with reporters later, said the United States had taken in
about 70,000 refugees a year over the past three years and was
planning on "some sort of a modest increase" next year.

Several U.S. officials confirmed that Kerry told lawmakers
that the government was planning on taking in an additional
5,000 refugees next year.

Congressional aides said administration officials had
indicated that number could go significantly higher.

"I think they finally recognize that an additional 5,000 is
not a serious response," said one aide, who spoke on condition
of anonymity.

The State Department official said the administration
planned to increase the number of refugees it takes in from
Syria and sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those affected by
conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"When we talk about increasing overall numbers, we're
talking about increases for people from around the world," the
official said, adding: "In addition to bringing in more Syrians,
which is the plan, we would like to admit more African refugees
next year." The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

Since the start of the four-year-long Syrian civil war, the
United States has taken in 1,500 refugees, with 300 more
expected to be cleared by October.

European countries have taken in waves of migrants fleeing
violence. Germany allowed 20,000 in over the weekend and is
preparing for 800,000 this year.

"We are committed to increasing the number of refugees that
we take and we are looking hard at the number that we
specifically can manage," Kerry told reporters.

Some U.S. lawmakers are pressing the administration to do
more about the crisis.

The senior State Department official said Kerry had spoken
with his German counterpart over the past 24 hours.

"My sense is that Europeans are so focused right now on this
on a day-to-day basis that they're not really looking to us yet
to help them, but we are thinking about what we can do to be
helpful," the official added.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Lesley Wroughton; Editing
by Lisa Lambert, Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis)